


K-Science Lab

by noctiscorvus



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, Post-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-21
Updated: 2013-08-21
Packaged: 2017-12-24 06:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/936360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctiscorvus/pseuds/noctiscorvus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things never change and sometimes that's a comfort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	K-Science Lab

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this to a picture of Hermann and Newt making out, but then it just veered away from that, hard.  
> It also looked a lot longer when I typed it out on Tumblr.
> 
> Might do a follow-up with Newt at some point.

And Newt's going off again, prattling on about this Kaiju versus that Kaiju and how neither of them, despite being (apparently) amazing, can beat his admiration for whichever one belongs to the kidney he's had laying out on the surgical table since morning.  
And really, it's not even that interesting, let alone important, what the younger man is babbling on about.  
Hermann supposes he might be thinking that because he's heard it all (or some variation of it) before, just wonders how Newt isn't bored of it all always running around in that head of his.  
Because it is. He's seen it.

The Drift had mostly taken them through their lives, childhood and academia (and if having to relive his childhood every time he Drifts isn't enough of a reason to never do a Neural Handshake again..). But there'd been instances, memories rather, of Kaijus. A younger Newton watching the news reports, visiting the sites of where they'd fallen. The first time he touched specimen. Awe, excitement, intrigue and just a little bit of fear.  
Hermann has it the other way round, lots of fear and a bit of awe and intrigue (after all, they're creatures not from this world. What scientist wouldn't be a little fascinated?), but the thrill and excitement? No, he doesn't understand that, doesn't get Newt's _wanting_ of Kaiju.

And when he asks how it doesn't drive him insane, the Kaiju groupie (that's what he is, you can argue about it all day, but the fact stands) just grins and says it's the same thing as Hermann and numbers. Which is utterly ridiculous and so very not the same!  
Hermann finds peace, a serenity in numbers. It calms him, strips away the harsh, cold world and makes everything more relatable, tangible.  
Sure, he gets excited when there's a new theory to poke and prod for holes, or a new Problem that needs solving, but he doesn't start bouncing around and asking if people will take his picture with it!

So Drifting didn't make him understand Newt's obsession any better, didn't bring them closer to each others' level of thinking, or pass on the sheer annoyance of Kaiju guts crossing over onto Hermann's side of the lab. It didn't stop them from getting less annoyed at each other's work style or begrudging the other for being right.  
It did make them listen more, to the arguments given and to each other, Hermann pushing Newt to get some sleep before he used an intestine as a pillow or Newt bringing them both fresh coffee while Hermann spent hours losing himself in the numbers on the board.  
It bumped up their teamwork, both crowding around Marshall Hansen till the Australian sighed and signed off an extra generator to their lab.  
It also had Hermann playing classic music a bit more, much to Newt's annoyance.

In the end, little has changed, while at the same time, the change is significant.  
Hermann doesn't think they'd be working together for much longer, his work almost done (making sure that if this happened again, they'd know when and where, though it was really quite an unlikely event) and Newt busy preparing for heading his new research department (he fondly named it Kaiju & Your Health)  
So he just lets Newt's rambling wash over him, knows this is easier than later having to say goodbye and how much he'll miss it. All of it.  
Trippy Kaiju brain meld with a rockstar genius fanboy included.


End file.
